The Art and Life of Luis Chan

Luis Chan in his early twenties (1920s).

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A painter, teacher, writer, curator, and ardent cultural advocate, Luis Chan (1905-1995) was born in Panama in 1905 and moved to Hong Kong at the age of five. He hardly travelled beyond its shores, but avidly read international art publications, painted constantly and quickly became a central figure in the city’s art scene.

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Luis Chan, Hillside Town with Pink Temple, 1955-1965.

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Luis Chan started his artistic career with traditional Western-style oil paint and techniques of English-landscape watercolor painting.

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Luis was also interested in sculpture in his younger years (1930s).

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Known for his diverse artistic output, Luis Chan’s works range from surreal Chinese ink landscapes, fantastical portraits in oil and acrylic, to graphic collages and bold abstract experimentations reminiscent of ‘action’ painting.

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The artist sketching on the streets of Shau Kei Wan, Hong Kong, in the 1940s.

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Luis Chan had a long and prolific career. From his first solo debut exhibition in 1935 until his final show in 1993 at the age of 89, Luis Chan presented 47 solo exhibitions.

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Luis Chan, Fantasy Landscape with White Rhinoceros, 1972.

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Luis Chan was known by his peers and in the media as ‘Watercolor King.’ By the 1960s, his paintings had become dreamscapes influenced by Western abstraction and classical Chinese painting.

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A portrait of Luis Chan by the popular local photographer Peter Long (1940s).

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Luis Chan, Listening to the Raven's Message, 1979.

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“One can express just about any emotion playing with colors.”—Luis Chan

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Luis Chan in the early 1950s.

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Apart from his family pharmacy business, Luis also ran a shoe shop in the early 1950s and was the exclusive merchant in Hong Kong for Savile Row shoes.

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Luis Chan in the 1950s.

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Luis Chan loved partying. Here he attends the Hong Kong Art Club Annual Ball dressed up as the God of Fortune, and dances with Gu Mei (1950s).

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The artist's book Decorative Lettering was published in 1961.

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Luis Chan was a central figure in the Hong Kong art scene, publishing numerous books and articles throughout his career.

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Luis Chan in the 1970s.

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Luis Chan looking very energetic and mischievous even in his seventies.

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Luis Chan avidly read art publications and catalogues. The present work is a doodle by Chan on a catalogue illustration of a work by Pablo Picasso.

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Luis Chan in the 1980s.

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Luis stands with Johnson Chang Tsong-Zung (left) and Stanley Ho Hung Sun. Ho is officiating as guest of honor at the opening ceremony of the ‘The World of Luis Chan’ presented by Hanart Gallery at Hong Kong City Hall, 1983.

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Luis Chan, Donald Duck Caught a Fish, 1984.

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“There are many. I like Frankenthaler, de Kooning; it is difficult to enumerate, there are so many good painters. I have written a lot of articles about different artists.” –Luis Chan on his favorite artists, 1984.

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